The Hindu Business Line : Bengal Govt, Trinamool talks on Singur land remain inconclusive

Kolkata, Aug. 20 Talks between the West Bengal Government and the Trinamool Congress leadership on the Singur land acquisition imbroglio remained inconclusive on Wednesday with the party reiterating its demand that the 400 acres “forcibly acquired from unwilling farmers” be returned and the State Government sticking to its stand that there would be “problems” in doing so.

Among those who attended the two-and-a-half-hour meeting held at Writers’ Buildings were the Chief Minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, and West Bengal’s Minister for Industries & Commerce, Mr Nirupam Sen — on behalf of the Government — and Mr Partha Chatterjee, the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, on behalf of the Trinamool Congress.

Briefing newspersons later, Mr Sen said the issue of returning the 400 acres at Singur, as demanded by the Trinamool Congress, was discussed and the Opposition party was asked to come up with a solution if they had one. He expressed the hope that the matter would be discussed again in the days ahead and both sides would converge on a solution.

Later, Ms Mamata Banerjee told reporters at her residence that while she and her party wanted the Tata small car project in Singur to come up, the land acquired from “unwilling farmers” would have to be returned. She said 600 acres were enough to accommodate the Nano factory. In contention thereof, she read out relevant portions from a communiqué received from Tata Motors, which stated that the land required for the small car project at Singur would be 600 to 650 acres.

Ms Banerjee charged the State Government with adopting “delaying tactics” and said that, if there was political will, the issue could be resolved “in five minutes”. She said she was committed to stand by those whose land had been forcibly acquired.

“We have no issues with the Tatas setting up a factory, conducting their business and making money. However, we will have to protest if this is done at the cost of the livelihoods of the common people. We want both car and khana,” she said.

According to her, the Trinamool Congress would continue with its planned agitation against land acquisition at Singur from August 24. She said the State Government would have to bear the responsibility for any untoward incident that might occur as a result.

Related Stories:
Return ‘forcibly’ acquired land to farmers, says Mamata
Mamata open to talks on Tatas’ car plant issue

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